The following is another guest post contributed by Mark. As always, opinions contained within are those of the author.
Even though the electronic cigarette industry is still in its relative infancy is now a multibillion-dollar business which stretches right across the worldwide market. Critics have attempted to ridicule the sector, slowdown development and in some cases even ban the industry only to fall flat on their faces. There is now a growing consensus that critics of the electronic cigarette/vaping industry have now admitted defeat in their quest for an outright ban and are looking towards other avenues to control the industry going forward.
Have we really passed the stage of banning electronic cigarettes?
Even though the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) attempted to ban electronic cigarettes outright only a few years ago we do seem to have passed this hurdle in the long and winding history of electronic cigarettes. It is difficult, if not impossible, to look to ban electronic cigarettes while waving through their tobacco counterparts albeit with an array of taxes following close by. Therefore, it does seem as though critics of electronic cigarettes have finally admitted they are here to stay but what can we expect in the future?
Tax changes?
There has been speculation for some time that governments and state authorities across the world are looking to introduce an array of tobacco type taxes for the electronic cigarette industry. Indeed the Ohio authorities are well down the track with this particular matter although this has created a massive public backlash across the state. Local vaping shops believe that the introduction of a specific e liquid tax across Ohio has the potential to more than treble the cost of e liquid.
There is also the fact that if Ohio was alone in introducing an e liquid tax then vaping enthusiasts would simply buy their products out of state or via the Internet. However, there is no way other states would miss out on a potential e liquid tax windfall and potentially very quickly tax regulations would fall into line across the country.
Regulations
The introduction of vaping industry regulations has been delayed time and time again by the FDA amid speculation it is proving difficult to justify a hard-nosed approach to this particular subject. Despite the fact that critics are calling for an array of regulatory approvals and regulatory costs for those operating in the industry, the general public and the vaping community in particular are highly suspicious and extremely critical of this stance. However, it does look as though we will see the introduction of at least some regulations across the US, and across Europe, over the next couple of years.
In defence of various regulators across the world it is worth noting that we still await an array of long-term medical trials to come to fruition and announce their results. Whether or not this is holding up the introduction of regulations is again a matter for debate but one thing is certain, governments, politicians and regulators around the world are very much behind the development curve of the industry and have been playing catch-up for some time now!
Conclusion
It is debatable as to whether the backlash amongst the general public has made regulators, governments and politicians think again with regards to the vaping industry. Would the industry be in such a strong position without the assistance of the vaping community? Would regulators already have banned these products without public support?
The general move within political circles seems to suggest that critics of the vaping industry have finally giving up the fight and are no longer looking to ban vaping products. However, they are certainly looking to introduce taxes and skim further income from the industry as it continues to grow both in the US and around the world. The fight is still ongoing but the goals of critics and supporters have changed!
